Low CD4 and no symptoms

Jul 25, 2013

Following up on my previous question,
Will her CD4 levels increase once ART starts, taking into account that she had a hip joint replacement?What will be a safe CD4 level even if the VL is low?She is currently on Cotrimoxazole and will be starting ART soon.
My previous question was-
My mother(age 60)has been recently diagnosed with HIV.She underwent a femur replacement 5 years back and had blood transfusion.During this course of 5 years she didn't had any HIV related illness apart from one instance of pyelonephritis and recurrent UTIs.Doctors have suggested starting ART as her CD4 level is 70(she was having UTI when sample was taken).But they still maintain her as Clinical stage 1(WHO) as she does not have any other problems.Will she be able to get back to normal after ART?Is the situation very critical?

Response from Dr. Young

Hello and good to hear back from you.

Your mother's hip replacement should have no impact on how ART affects her CD4 count recovery. I'd expect her counts to improve gradually (it takes time for the immune system to recover).

We usually consider the most serious danger period is when CD4s are below 200.

This forum is designed for educational purposes only, and experts are not rendering medical, mental health, legal or other professional advice or services. If you have or suspect you may have a medical, mental health, legal or other problem that requires advice, consult your own caregiver, attorney or other qualified professional.

Experts appearing on this page are independent and are solely responsible for editing and fact-checking their material. Neither TheBody.com nor any advertiser is the publisher or speaker of posted visitors' questions or the experts' material.

The Body is a service of Remedy Health Media, LLC, 750 3rd Avenue, 6th Floor, New York, NY 10017. The Body and its logos are trademarks of Remedy Health Media, LLC, and its subsidiaries, which owns the copyright of The Body's homepage, topic pages, page designs and HTML code. General Disclaimer: The Body is designed for educational purposes only and is not engaged in rendering medical advice or professional services. The information provided through The Body should not be used for diagnosing or treating a health problem or a disease. It is not a substitute for professional care. If you have or suspect you may have a health problem, consult your health care provider.